REVIEWS
REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES
TPOD
KIT
I-PRIV
SMOK I-PRIV KIT
• Dimensions: 95.5x56x35mm
• Battery: 2x 21700/20700/18650
• Weight: 188.6g
• Power output: 1W-230W
• Voltage output: 0.5V-8.2V
• Resistance
•
range: 0.1Ohms-2.5Ohms (VW)/
0.05Ohms-2Ohms (TC)
• Temperature control (TC) range: 200F-600F/
100C-315C
TFV12 PRINCE SPECS:
• DIMENSIONS: 28X63MM
• WEIGHT: 60G
• CAPACITY: 8ML (BUBBLE GLASS)/
2ML (TPD EDITION GLASS)
•GOOD CHIP PERFORMANCE
•21700, 20700 AND 18650 COMPATIBLE
•STRIP AND MESH COILS FOR THE TFV12 PRINCE
•VOICE CONTROL ISN’T VERY FUNCTIONAL
•MINOR ISSUES WITH BUILD QUALITY
Once in a while, SMOK release a mod that is so far out of left field it warrants
discussion. The I-Priv is such a device. At first glance, it seems fairly standard
for a flagship mod released in 2018. It has the option of using 2X700 cells in
addition to traditional 18650s, as well as a host of temperature control and
wattage settings. But then you power it up for the first time and a robotic voice
says, “Hello master, I am your new warrior.”
In the box, you receive a card titled, “Man-Machine Dialogue” which lists all of
the voice commands you can use to change settings on the device. The options
are comprehensive and allow you to switch between all of the settings using
speech.
Unfortunately, the recognition is inconsistent at best. Saying “Hello I-Priv” begins
the process, but this only works about 25 percent of the time for me. I’m aware
that this may vary dramatically with accent. Even if it worked every time, I couldn’t
see myself barking orders at a mod, rather than adjusting it with buttons.
The construction and build quality of the device is reasonable, but not quite as
solid as some other recent SMOK devices. The chassis feels just slightly brittle
in comparison to something like the X-Priv or G-Priv 2. With that said, the I-Priv
is both light and relatively compact for a dual 2X700 device, so this may well be
a sacrifice some users are willing to make. Using the included 18650 adapter,
there is a slight battery rattle, but it’s not a deal-breaker. Installing two 21700s
made this issue disappear. The device fits nicely in the hand, with a large fire
bar on one end.
The chip performs nicely. Power delivery is very responsive, menu navigation is
simple and battery life is great with dual 21700 cells. Temperature control is again
imperfect but tinkering with TCR values will result in a reasonable experience.
The TFV12 Prince tank and its brand new coil options, which are packaged with
the kit are the high point of this bundle.
The strip coil which came pre-installed has a recommended wattage range of
80W-90W, and looks similar to a standard mesh configuration, albeit with wider
spacing. In my opinion, this is the best high wattage coil SMOK has ever made.
It produces good flavour and huge, dense clouds. The longevity is also a major
improvement. I put approximately 100ml of e-liquid through it before having to
swap it out.
I then installed the mesh coil, which is even better. At 60W, it performs similarly
to the strip coil, but with a slightly more intense flavour. This lower wattage
requirement and top-tier flavour production mean that the TFV12 Prince is a real
contender if you’re looking for fuss-free performance vaping.
ARC REACTOR SCREEN
176 | VM18